IPL has entered its feverish pitch – if CSK is playing sleeplessness is guaranteed – match would boil down to last over rather last ball ! – yesterday there was no CSK but match extended beyond midnight and what a cracker of contest it was.
After that thriller,
Mumbai Indians became the third team to qualify for the Indian Premier League
2019 playoffs after they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in Super Over eliminator at
the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. It was only the second Super Over played in the
tournament this season after the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders
contest in April.
The all
important top 4 scenario is not all that complex – CSK is already there – for Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite losing their last
game against Mumbai Indians, can still qualify if they win their final game
based on Net Run-Rate (NRR). Even if they lose their last game against Royal
Challengers Bangalore, their superior NRR should see them through to the top
four. Sunrisers Hyderabad: need to win their final match against RCB.Kolkata Knight Riders, would need to win both
their remaining matches against Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. MI
qualifying for the playoffs will help KKR's cause as well. Kings XI Punjab, need
to win both their remaining matches against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai
Super Kings in their final two games. It will be complicated for Rajasthan
Royals to qualify, as they need to win their last game against Delhi Capitals
and then hope that SRH lose their remaining two games and KKR and KXIP win just
one of their final two games.
The brief score card
reads :Mumbai Indians 162 for 5 (de
Kock 69*, Khaleel 3-42) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 162 for 6 (Pandey 71*, Nabi
31, Krunal 2-20) via the Super Over
Quinton de Kock played somewhat scratchy innings but blossomed
later to enable Mumbai Indians reaching 162
for 5 – de Kock scored unbeaten 69 that came off 58 balls, containing six fours
and two sixes. None of the other Mumbai batsmen could take cues from de Kock,
as they struggled against Sunrisers' accurate bowling.Hardik Pandya was a revelation, the first
ball six stood out for its brute power and the aggressive attitude !
Rohit Sharma got
Mumbai off to a sound start with five fours, Khaleel's slower ball duped him
into slicing one to mid-on. It cut short the opening stand to 36 runs.Suryakumar Yadav too got out, picking the
lone fielder at sweeper cover.Towards
the end forcing Kieron Pollard top edged a slower
length ball, to be caught at square-leg. The strategy of MI would remain a mystery forever
– they buy best players and ensure that players like Pollard do not bat enough
– he would come in the end with say 3 overs to spare .. why ?
Martin Guptill, who
replaced David Warner, and Wriddhiman Saha sprung to a fast start but the
latter fell to Jasprit Bumrah's slower delivery in the fourth over, caught at
point, just as the Sunrisers were gaining momentum. Bumrah then removed Guptill
in his next over, and although the New Zealander reviewed the lbw decision,
replays showed that the ball was hitting leg stump. Although the Sunrisers' 59
for 2 was better than Mumbai's score at the end of the Powerplay, Bumrah's
removal of the openers chipped away at their run-rate. Krunal Pandya then had
Williamson, after reviewing successfully for an lbw in the eighth over, before
Vijay Shankar was caught at long-on to reduce the Sunrisers to 98 for 4 in the
14th over.
Then there was Manish Pandey, who had been the Sunrisers' set
batsman at the crease. After Abhishek Sharma was caught behind off Hardik,
Mumbai held back the Sunrisers for the following 15 balls, conceding just 17
runs. Finally at the end of the 18th over, Mohammad Nabi swung Lasith Malinga
for a six over point. Bumrah bowled four good balls in the penultimate over
before Pandey struck him for two fours to bring down the required runs to 17
off the last over. With a last ball sixer, Pandey took the Sunrisers into the Super Over ..
.. but they flopped in the super over.
They
opened with Manish Pandey and Mohammad Nabi. Pandey stoked Bumrah to cover and tried a
brace but was caught off with a good throw.Martin Guptill walked in – scored a single.Off the third, Nabi went for a pull, got a
top edge and had a six. Next ball Bumrah cleaned him up, crashing out the leg
stump – thus a target of 9 .. Menacing
Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard walked in to bat – Rashid Khan was the
bowler.First ball itself Hardik hit
straight almost flat over long off for a 6, next was a single – third ball was
milked to deep midwicket by Pollard for 2 and match was over.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
3rd
May 2o19.
